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Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang routinely steps out in a black leather jacket. According to The New York Times<\/em><\/a>, the jacket has been a staple in Huang\u2019s wardrobe \u201cfor at least 20 years\u201d and has become inextricably linked to the CEO\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a 2024 interview<\/a> with HP<\/a>, Huang admitted that his wife and daughter were the masterminds behind the signature look. \u201cI\u2019m happy that my wife and my daughter dress me,\u201d Huang said at the time.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, one of Huang\u2019s legendary leather jackets went up for auction via Sotheby\u2019s. Last week, the jacket sold to the highest bidder<\/a> for $960,000, far surpassing the expected sum \u2014\u00a0the jacket had a comparably modest presale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n Proceeds from the sale will support the Edge Institute<\/a>. The nonprofit brings together people across tech, science, culture and society to live and collaborate in temporary \u201cpop-up\u201d communities built around experimentation.<\/p>\n It\u2019s part of a broader trend emerging from tech circles, where founders and researchers gather for month-long, live-in experiences. One of its biggest live-in events, Edge Esmeralda<\/a>, drew over 1,300 attendees to Healdsburg, California, last year. According to Sotheby\u2019s, the funds will go toward the Edge Institute\u2019s fellowships, grants and residency programs \u201cfor the next generation of young builders to pursue their passions and projects.\u201d<\/p>\n Huang\u2019s relationship with the nonprofit is unclear, as is whether it was his idea to sell one of his jackets. However, auctioning the jacket deviates from the usual direct way he gives. For example, Huang and his wife, Lori, who met at Oregon State University in the early 1980s, gave a $50 million gift<\/a> to the university to create a research complex in 2022.\u00a0<\/p>\n Huang has also donated to other universities, like Stanford<\/a> and the California College of the Arts<\/a>. His usual playbook is to give to educational institutions and AI research.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sotheby\u2019s noted that the auctioned jacket was photomatched to Jensen Huang\u2019s attire during the Hon Hai Tech Day in Taipei on October 18, 2023. It was signed; James Spence Authentication authenticated the signature.\u00a0<\/p>\n Luxury menswear brand Tom Ford designed the leather jacket, which Huang has worn during developer conferences, product launches and major AI announcements. A similar style on Tom Ford\u2019s website retails for $6,990<\/a>. Sotheby\u2019s noted that the \u201cJensen Jacket\u201d is \u201cinstantly recognizable to audiences around the world\u201d and \u201chas come to be a relic of a simple belief: that the future is built by people brave enough to journey into the unknown before anyone else can see what they see.\u201d<\/p>\n Sotheby\u2019s additionally marketed the jacket as more than just an article of clothing, calling it a \u201cuniform\u201d of a \u201cfirst believer.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt has become a symbol for the vision at the forefront of the AI revolution,\u201d the firm asserted.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index<\/a>, Huang is the eighth-richest person in the world, with a net worth of $168 billion.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang routinely steps out in a black leather jacket. According to The New York Times<\/em><\/a>, the jacket has been a staple in Huang\u2019s wardrobe \u201cfor at least 20 years\u201d and has become inextricably linked to the CEO\u2019s image.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a 2024 interview<\/a> with HP<\/a>, Huang admitted that his wife and daughter were the masterminds behind the signature look. \u201cI\u2019m happy that my wife and my daughter dress me,\u201d Huang said at the time.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, one of Huang\u2019s legendary leather jackets went up for auction via Sotheby\u2019s. Last week, the jacket sold to the highest bidder<\/a> for $960,000, far surpassing the expected sum \u2014\u00a0the jacket had a comparably modest presale estimate of $40,000 to $60,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nHuang usually gives to universities<\/h2>\n
Jacket as a \u2018uniform\u2019<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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